Improvements in combining aluminium with vulcanite and other materials



- To all whom it may concern:-

- and exact description of the same, suffieient to appertains to make and use my invention.

" other metallurgists to procure a metal at an ject to oxidization, and, whatever may have chanieal or-mercautile value.

miniunl by mechanically combining itwith vulmade by various means-such as by i'nlaying plate-mill, reducing it again to a sheet. This quired form and then vulcanizedto the required "ubber may be performed in various ways by is to take strips or pieces of aluminium of any ITED STATES rarer),

NAT L; FOWLER, or YARMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS.-

IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING ALUMINIUM WITH VULCANITE AND OTHER MATERIALS. 7

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. d6,23(h, dated February 7, 1865.

Beitknown that LNATHANIEL O. FOWLER, of Yarmonth, Barnstable county, Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Combination of Aluminium and Vulcanite; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,-

enable a person skilled in the art to which it It has long been an object with dentists'and economical rate which was Strong and not subbeen known of aluminium, it has hitherto failed to be practically utilized in arts or manufactures except to a limited extent, and then rather as a matter of scientifiecuriosity than of me- I have discovered a method of utilizing falucanite or rtibber, which combination may be the metal into plastic rubber and afterward vulcanizin g the latter to give it the requisite rigidity and durability, or by reducing the aluminium to a c'omminuted state by means of a revolving toothed wheel, a file, or otherwise, and spreading the granulated metal upon a Jhin sheet of rubber, which is then rolled into ascroll and passed between the rollers of a process ofscrollin g and flattening is repeated as often as maybe necessary to mingle intimately the metal and gum. In this plastic condition it is molded or pressed into any rehardness; This commiuglin g of the metal and mechanical manipulation or by immersing the granulated metal in solution'of rubber, I do not limit myself to any special method of meohanically combining the two.

One form of the application of my invention required shape with special mechanical adap- I tation or for mere ornamentation and insert them into the rubber while the latter is in a plastic condition, after which it is vulcanized. By this means I make various kinds of useful and ornamental appliances or mechanical corncction s and adaptations in or for processes of art or nianufacturein which the metal is closely and firmly embraced by the gum retaining its i'ntinia'te connection therewith during and atterthe process of vulcanization. For instance, for dental purposes I m'akcholes by punching up pieces which form projections on the palate or other plate'of aluminium, mold the rubber around it in the required form, in connection,

with the dentures, and afterward subject the piece consisting of the'plate and attached rubberaud dentures, tothe well-known process of v-ulcauizatiomtrfter which the portions of rubber will be found in close contact with the surface of the metal, as the latter has not undergone-any sulphurizatiou or corrosion which will loosen the pin of vulc'anitein the orifice in the plate. The metals, with-hut few exceptions, are corroded by being exposed incontact with rubber in the process of vulcahization. This arises'from the development of sulphureted hydrogen during the said process,

which, with the exceptions referred to, has theeffcct of snlphiirizing' and corroding the surface and edges of'the metal and destroying the intimate connection of it and the vulcanite, even where it does not proceed so far as to destroy the metal altogether. Platinum and gold may be used with good effect, but they are expensive and many times heavier than aluminium, which is an important consideration under many circumstances.

I have instanced the applicability "of my invention to the operations of vmechanical dentistry merely as an instance of its application, but not as limiting myself to that department of useful arts and manufactures.

I propose to make finger-rings, ear-rings, I

breastpins jewel -'.boxes,- card eases, napkinrings, work-boxes, desks, mantel and table ornameuts, statuet'tes, knife and brush handles, lamp-stands, and mauy other useful and orna-.

mental articles, which may be made by the in laying or the granulatiug process, as may best suit the taste and purpose. I also. propose to attach vulcanite soles 'to boots and shoes by tacks of alun'iiuium inserted into the rubber before vulcanization, and to unite by a rivet of vulcanite the ends of a hoop or ring of aluminium or the pieces of an ornament, or gen erally-to make any-other connections where it isdesired to unite aluminium to vulcanite. Plates, rods, or strips of the metal are allied with interposed portions of the rubber, orthe latter may be encircled with rings of the metal.

I do not consider it necessary to make explicit reference to all the modifications of application of which this invention is susceptible. Suffice it to say that I depe d l pon this fact, which is the main characteristic of my invention, and which adapts my combination to numerous branches of-industrial art and manufacture, that after the metal and gum have been brought into contactin the ,wayaud in the shape adapted to the use for whichthe finished product is designed, the rubber be vulcanized, giving it the durability, tenacity, and rigidity consequent upon that process without sulphurization or corrosion of the surface of the metal, which, did it occur,- wonld have the effect of impairing the absolute contact of the metal and gum, even it it did not actually destroy the plate. -v By this invention 1 am enabled to construct a variety of articles having the qualities of: beauty, lightness, durability, incorrodibility, wend the desired degree of rigidity, and which are'Tpec'uliarlyadapted to situations of exposure.

Various processes of inlaying may be pracv lined by the use of this invention, such as cs-- cutcheons, tablet-s, name-plate, or filagree or: naincnts otf alu ninin on the plate, handle, or piece ofe'ulcanite. Plates for inscriptions or other uses which might be named may be firmly embedded in the-rubber and the latter subjected to the vulcanizing process with effeet and security; orthe converse of this process may be applied and the aluminium inlaid with vulcanite, as the various uses of the multifarious articles may indicate or the suggestions. of taste and propriety of ornamentation may render appropriate.

l'shall not'bu'rden this 'ecification ,with

any attempt to anticipate all the various uses 'to which my inventionis applicable, nonprescribe'in detail the modes of its application or specialiadaptation 'to individual cases, as

these will vary, but I will'furtlier mentionthat itimay be by'a series of pins, hooks, or

canite, for attaching rubber or vulcanite to, other materials, and for inlaying and orna- 'meuting articles of vulcanite.

3. The use of yulcanite for the purpose of attachingarticles made of aluminiu'mtoother materials or to other articles madeof aluminmnm.

4. Inlaying-articles made of aluminium with vnlcanite'and uniting articles made of aluminiurn by a clasp, riyet, or other fastening erornam'ental device made of vulcanite;

NATHL. O. FOWLER.

witnesseszj CHARLES D. SMITH, ALEXR. AJC. KLAUCKE. 

